Apple Inc. is Anti-Liberty in Every Way

I was recently downvoted on a post where a video was posted as an iTunes exclusive when I said I refused to download Apple's garbageware to watch the video. I realize many of us at the DP still do not know how anti-liberty Apple really is. I suppose I should elaborate for the Apple protectionists out there. The simple idea of being an 'exclusive' medium for an advertisement sounds exactly like Apple. That is not the only reason I will not support this company, there are MANY that have slowly formed over the years.

1. Apple is a bully to its users, and its developers. I am a developer by trade. Apple has repeatedly used their terms of service to restrict what kinds of apps we are allowed to develop for their platform in order to protect their own stock apps from competition. They have been forced to relent a bit on this but trust me this was not by choice.

2. When Apple files for patents like this one it helps illustrate their corporate personality, and their position on freedom. It allows the government to remotely shut down all iphone cameras within range of a kill signal. This can be used at protests for example: http://www.zdnet.com/apple-patent-could-remotely-disable-pro...

3. Proprietary connectivity for no real reason is immoral and anti-competitive. It is legal, however it certainly isn't 'free' as in freedom. It is another form of a digital cage. Apple forces you to purchase new chargers and accessories from one device to the next. This practice is purely for profit. This is something the rest of the industry has finally stopped doing after standards have become accepted... except of course for Apple.

4. They absolutely abuse the concept of intellectual property (which I personally believe should be completely dissolved - this is like saying you can patent a mathematical equasion). You should ne be able to patent round rectangles for example. Apple is suing dozens of companies at this very moment, all for intellectual property disputes. For more on why I fundimentally disagree with this, watch this short documentary on IP: http://patentabsurdity.com/watch.html

5. Apple bundles lots of extra crap into all of its windows software (hence the garbageware comment). iTunes installed loads of background services which are completely unrelated to iTunes and start every time you tun on your computer. iTunes is a resource hog, it is intentionally crippled to 'lock' you into Apple products / services / multimedia formats. They want all music to be loaded with DRM, and they are happy to completely wipe out your music collection if you aren't careful. Some of it you can remove during installation, some of it you cannot.

6. They use the 'American Company' routine to encourage 'patriotic purchases', but in truth staffing, component purchases, assembly, etc. are primarily outsourced. For example, one of their chief rivals, South Korean Samsung provides more jobs in the US than Apple does. Read more: http://www.rjkoehler.com/2012/08/28/samsung-better-for-ameri...

7. Worker conditions seem to be unimportant to Apple when it comes to foreign employees. It farms out its labor to China where workers are clearly not doing very well. In fact, after a series of worker suicides at the factory the company has installed suicide nets, and imposed strict anti suide policies. How do you get people to stop killing themselves? We all know the answer to that is more rules and restrictions right? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides

9. Hackintoshes being 'illegal' is BS. If I buy their software, and build my own computer... how can it be illegal for me to put that software I purchased on the hardware I purchased??? Well, according to Apple's TOS it is, and if you try it they will sue the iCrap out of you like they did to one local company here in south FL called Psystar a few years back: http://www.techspot.com/news/48604-psystar-loses-latest-appe...

I could literally go on and on listing the disgusting business practices of this company. What I cannot figure out is why most people seem to have no idea (or not care), even a community as well informed as this one. Are there any others out there who understand where I'm coming from here?

Would love to get away from the proprietary STATE serving software companies, however both my experiences into Linux have shown from a desktop perspective, it still is not a viable option in a production environment.

Perhaps one day soon the linux desktop will be as robust and production ready as the servers, and in my opinion, the sooner that day gets here, the better. :)

When I first got into computers, Apple was the little guy trying to survive the attacks of the biggest bully on the block, Microsoft. But now, it seems that since Apple is now so big and has so much money, they are now acting in some ways like Microsoft used to. I suppose it's a case of how power corrupts. I'm writing this right now on an Apple MacBook Pro. My first computer was a 500MHz iMac. But I am not a fan boy and I never thought of that rectal opening named Steve Jobs as any kind of messiah. In some ways, SJ was a smart man, but in other ways he was nothing but a bully. And that way of thinking, like a bully, is apparently still alive and well at Apple. Perhaps it's time to give Linux a try :-)

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Larry in North Carolina
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men and women to not support Ron Paul!

I reccommend you try Mint KDE since you're new to it. I would disable special dektops effects to maximize performance. It performs best with proprietary NVIDIA linux drivers, but it should work fine on AMD and Intel cards, too.

If there is anything to improve in the software industry or I.T. in general - I can see the main one (that cronyism DOES encompasses, but seemingly many people STILL fail to see it as evident as I do):

Software patents.

FIGHT THOSE.

Their idea is morally, rationally... INDEFENSIBLE, for many reasons, one of which is that NOBODY has ever been able to define THEIR SCOPE precisely - including all the law makers so far.

I've stated many times before on this site why software patents and other forms of so-called "intellectual property" are important as property rights pertain to liberty and commerce, so I flatly reject calls to eliminate them. I would, however, agree that the length of software patents should be open for review, provided any changes made are free from political partisanship.

1. Don't develop apps on their platform. Make your own or use an open one.

2. Any phone made by anyone can be remotely controlled by any manner. It's not Apple's fault that they must abide by certain regulations to be able to sell phones here. Work to change the law, don't blame the cell phone makers.

3. The connection for the iPod has been the same all the way up to the iPhone 4s. They came out with a new connector that is better and can be inserted in any manner. Don't buy the products if you don't like it.

4. You can't patent a mathematical formula because it's not intellectual property, it's just a truth that already existed that you seemed to figure out. If you can't put your name on an idea and have it legally protected, nobody is going to bother inventing anything anymore.

5. All I see running with my iTunes installation is stuff to monitor if you've plugged in the phone, and something to monitor for updates. There are other pieces of software that are capable of syncing content to an iDevice.

7. Don't blame Apple for trying to maximize profits. Blame China for being a shit-hole. Blame Asian culture for being so insane to think that honor comes from suicide. Blame the regulations here for moving jobs over there.

8. Just don't give them your money then.

9. Why would you want to put Apple's OS on a PC? I think they couldn't care less what an individual does with their purchased software. Those clauses are there for people who try to sell Hackintoshes. Never once have they went after an individual for this, and they never will. Even so, if you agree to the TOS, it's binding. The only things I don't like about terms of service are that if you don't agree, you can't use it. It should happen before purchase, but that's not an Apple thing, that's with anything you use.

People buy their products because they aren't a mess. They all work together, and it's the same with Microsoft's stuff. Every company like this has their own universe of devices that you can fill the home with that all work together. They all employ slave labor in Asia.

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Please come join my forum if you're not a trendy and agree with my points of view.

You shouldn't buy it if you're not happy with their practices. But I think you're missing the OP's point. His point is that the way Apple runs their business, it would seem foolish to him (and to me) for a Libertarian-minded individual to buy into their practices. However, the OP isn't taking a stand to bring down Apple or anything because they are unfair. He's simply ranting that he makes a comment about not wanting to install Apple's bloatware, and a bunch of Libertarian-minded individuals, whom you would think would be all about OSS and free and open information, put their Apple fan-boy status first and downvote him.

I don't really care if Apple stays open for eternity. That's the free market at work. But IMO, they do operate as a "nanny state" tech company and because of that, they never have and never will get my business.

How do they operate as a nanny state? They legally have to make the phones have an NSA backdoor to access the cameras, mics, and really stay on when powered off. These regulations only complicate things and make them more expensive. I think if there were no regulations to abide by they wouldn't be making these back doors to turn them into spy devices.

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Please come join my forum if you're not a trendy and agree with my points of view.

I think you misunderstand my use of "nanny state tech company". All I mean is that Apple takes the attitude of "We know what's best for you." They take stubborn stances such as rejecting apps that compete with their own apps or because there are too many similar apps. Just look up the whole hoopla when they initially rejected the Google Voice app. Also, there's no competition with their app store. Without jailbreaking an iPhone, you can't install anything that doesn't come from their App Store. I'm not saying Apple is out to get anyone. They do all of this in the name of user experience and some people see that as a good thing. I just personally like to have more choices and maybe because I'm more tech savvy than the average person, I like to be able to tweak more than what Apple thinks I should be able to do.

They do this stuff in the name of secure devices that just work. When you jailbreak you lose the code execution protection, so the phone is less secure. You gain root access. Less secure. Someone who doesn't know what they're doing can install something like OpenSSH, have no clue what it is and that they should change the root password, and leave their phone wide open. I find that the tweaks jailbreaking brings reduces performance and battery life. Apple relies on jailbreaking, really. If Apple truly closed it up or actually enforced an illegality of jailbreaking, they would lose most of their customers.

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Please come join my forum if you're not a trendy and agree with my points of view.

don't you see the paralell here? They do it to protect you right? So then why am I the one who gets restricted and not the criminal? Sounds a lot like like what the gov says to get us to accept draconian limitations to what should be legal.

If Apple doesn’t truly oppose unlocking, why would it lobby the government to outlaw the practice, claiming it supports terrorism and drug dealing?

You are dreaming that Apple is doing it for your own good. They want to control your primary communication device to make more $$$, plain and simple. The part that gets me is that people just run to them with open arms.

No, they do it so people don't bitch to them that their shit doesn't work. They do it for their own good. Apple isn't draconian because it's not forced on us. Apple doesn't oppose unlocking, the carriers do. Phones cost much more than you pay for them from a carrier. They subsidize the cost, and if everyone could just buy an phone every day to sell it for 3-4x more, they wouldn't be in business. If you don't like it, but an unlocked phone. That is pointless and a waste of money, since you will still wind up paying the same per month for service. Non-subsidized service is not cheaper. Jailbreaking is not illegal. Apple will never try to levy criminal charges against any individual for jailbreaking their device. All they do is just refuse to support a jailbroken product. If you need warranty support, all you have to do is restore it to factory condition and they are none-the-wiser. I'm a person who likes to tinker, so I never get warranties, anyway.

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Please come join my forum if you're not a trendy and agree with my points of view.

Did I say a word about Microsoft in my comment? Personally, I prefer to use Linux, but again, I'm referring to the OP's comment about having to install iTunes. Being FORCED to install software that you don't need, is what I consider bloatware. I'm sure the OP had some other media player he could have used. I know I'm not the only one who considers iTunes to be bloatware: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/the-unofficial-guide-to-insta...

If the only thing you ever buy is an iPhone or an iPad, they can operate independently without interfacing with iTunes. When iOS was first introduced this was not the case. Apple developed iOS into something that works for more people.

Also part of my disclaimer: I don't claim stating any truth - but only my opinion of course, out of my own experience as a software dev. practitioner.

Seriously, IMO, you're just hitting at a dead cow (horse?)

Sincerely, I'm telling you:

I think Apple fairly sucks. So does Microsoft.

I don't fear to be condescending towards these giants because I like reality.

I have realistic criteria, I think, to measure innovation:

* how far do you influence the markets and consumer habits with your technology?
* at what cost?
* by suing your competitors how far, with the help of stupid bureaucrats?
* charging your customers how much?
* limiting your customers' freedom how tight?

(I guess you see by now where I'm going...)

See, I make a great living thanks to Microsoft specifically. They LITERALLY feed me and my family. Yet, I don't even work for them. I only work for a company (among 1000s others) struggling to use their crappy - or very average - very "whatever" - technologies.

Well, yes, it's BECAUSE I HAVE EATEN OF THE MS CRAP for a living since '95. I know THE COMPLETE MESS of their "software stack" (indeed!) DAMN WELL. I can make myself familiar with any of their "new" technologies - OR BUGS - in days. And that's why I am SO DAMN WELL PAID (AND TAXED!) FOR: to have the MESSY damn thing work for whatever my employer decides to do with (which is out of my control - spending decisions-wise).

If you ask me, the last time they significantly innovated for the long term was like 12 years ago. MAYBE. I haven't seen ANYTHING interesting from either Microsoft or Apple IN YEARS.

In the case of Microsoft: inside-out; in the case of Apple: on the surface, anyway; really nothing exciting to me that I didn't know was in the drawers of smaller guys months, years or decades before, and that the giants thanks to their size could afford taking over without anyone noticing, eventually. Often times, David does lose against Goliath, we like it or not...

When you are SUCH GIANTS, putting THAT MANY millions of $$$ in R & D to only release the blah blah, "whatever" N+1 version of your product that SURPRISES NOBODY ... that's rather LAME.

I am very harsh, am I not?

Well, yes and no... I believe it's in the natural order of things... when you get so big... it's extremely difficult to remain REALLY INNOVATIVE - to stay capable TO PROPOSE TECHNOLOGY PARADIGM SHIFTS.

TRUE innovation occurs at the small guys. THOSE that nobody talks about or even notice. The small guys where some of the tech or business folks are sometimes co opted by the giants. Thus, what we see on TV, reported by ignorant anchors, about the big players' so-called innovation "breakthroughs" in this or that is like 99% of the time... pure b.s. - sure, it takes some years of experience in the field to understand that, eventually.

I now have near 18 of those years, on this end. But I'm still learning a few things when I'm lucky, sure. Again: mostly from the small guys - those you hear about by word of mouth, mostly. That's whom I watch. Because that's where I know the giants are also lurking at. Duh!

In 18 years I could already anticipate the next techno move from MS, at least two times I think, without even ever working for them - and before any tiniest leak from whomever... Just by watching at how their codebase would evolve. (Cf. reverse engineering, etc) Rather Boring. So, tell me about "innovation" there... I don't see any reason why Apple would be any different, but since I don't know their crap, I'm not really interested in distracting myself... Maybe when I "retire" I'll have more time to lurk broader, and really if I'm too bored.

Of course, Open Source software is a completely different story - where not everything is green or pink, either; but that'd be fairly off topic re: your post, I suppose...

So, your post has chosen the wrong target, IMO:

it doesn't really matter whether Apple presumably has more and more monopolistic or licensing lock down habits... what they propose to the market is VERY AVERAGE if not downright LAME ***ANYWAY***... Just as MS, just as Oracle, you name them - the vast majority of the big guys.

What I find much more relevant TO FIGHT AGAINST is the plunder by parasitic statist regulators (WHO HAVE NO CLUE OF WHAT TECHNOLOGY AND FREEDOMS ARE ABOUT) against the small guys... DISCOURAGING the true sources of innovation.

Fighting that fight, I believe, is the true defense of free markets - for fair competition - and ultimately, the modern advancement of society as a whole - consumers and producers.

I do NOT suggest to make laws against "size" (albeit anti-monopolistic AND due bankruptcy laws, at least, are a good idea, I think, if enforced with fairness).

I'm just saying: don't hit at the giants who profit from CRONYISM.

Denounce the mechanics of cronyism, instead. You'll hit at the root of the evil (the evil against free markets AND TRUE innovation), and not just at this or that specific branch that spawned from it - and no matter how big and (often irrationally) "popular" that one is.

Sorry dude, I was reading and got a quarter thru and was like, "blah blah blah who cares"
Then I read the other dudes post about your rambling and I couldn't stop laughing for a solid five minutes.
The fact you replied to him and said, "is it better?", made it even funnier.

Well, people are free to rant about Apple today, just like others did about Microsoft decades ago (and still do, nothing ever difficult, there), or Oracle, or Google, or whatever.

I just find it silly to always hit at the gross obvious branches instead of thinking a little beyond one's nose - for a change - to at least try strike at the root of the moral hazards and the indefensible ideas or customs in (supposedly) "rational" domains (yeah, right).

Waste of time, if one asks me. But that's cool: I can continue make a good living thanks to the captive clients of big lame software which continues to rule. My family first. Sorry! Ah, the irony, though! Isn't it?

"Free markets", no? They can enjoy their going in loops... They can blame Apple Inc. today. And tomorrow? Banana AG? THAT, I just find it REALLY boring. For decades now.

Apple could not exist in a free market. They would be instantly destroyed by more agile competitors. Apple is a parasite depending on the government-controlled Soviet corporate atmosphere which the US suffers under.

The leverage they have over developers and customers derives from complex industry-written anti-competitive laws divorced from any semblance of free markets.

January 10 2013 by ChiefExecutive.net

From 1980 to 2000, the U.S. was generally rated the third freest economy in the world, ranking behind only Hong Kong and Singapore. After increasing steadily during the period from 1980 to 2000, the EFW rating of the United States fell from 8.65 in 2000 to 8.21 in 2005 and 7.70 in 2010. The chain-linked ranking of the United States has fallen precipitously from second in 2000 to eighth in 2005 and 19th in 2010 (unadjusted ranking of 18th).

every word of your comment is just absurd, seriously. either you guys don't know apple's history very well, or you don't really understand free markets. apple's revolutionized the world and empowered the average man perhaps more than any single company in history. they're no more and no less "libertarian" than any other company.

"OS X is based upon the Mach kernel. Certain parts from FreeBSD's and NetBSD's implementation of Unix were incorporated in NeXTSTEP, the core of Mac OS X. NeXTSTEP was the graphical, object-oriented, and UNIX-based operating system developed by Steve Jobs' company NeXT after he left Apple in 1985.[14] While Jobs was away from Apple, Apple tried to create a "next-generation" OS through the Taligent, Copland and Gershwin projects, with little success.[15]

Eventually, NeXT's OS, then called OPENSTEP, was selected to be the basis for Apple's next OS, and Apple purchased NeXT outright.[16] Steve Jobs returned to Apple as interim CEO, and later became CEO, shepherding the transformation of the programmer-friendly OPENSTEP into a system that would be adopted by Apple's primary market of home users and creative professionals. The project was first known as Rhapsody and was later renamed to Mac OS X.[17]"

I don't care if you're a developer or what, but you clearly know little about free markets or Apple for that matter. Every one of your criticisms is a socialist/fascist criticism and it's just odd to me that you'd even post em.

On IP, you're right, but EVERY company spends a fortune using the artificial monopolies created by IP, so criticism is pointless here.

Worker conditions? Outsourcing? Seriously? Are you even libertarian at all?

DRM has little to do with Apple itself as this is something the content makers demand for Apple to carry their products. It's a contract between them and consumers can decide if it's worth it.

Hackintoshes are NOT illegal, they simply violate the Terms of Service AGREEMENT you make with Apple when you purchase their product. You can't go to jail as a consumer, you simply don't get support from Apple. Apple does not LICENSE their software out to 3rd party businesses to make profit off it like Microsoft does. Is it stupid? That's for the market to decide.

Apple has always made a "walled garden" for their consumers. It's their own approach to technology and they've ALWAYS been that way. Microsoft open, Apple closed. Microsoft makes crap products. Apple makes seamless beautiful ones. I jailbreak (legal btw) so I can get the best of both worlds.

Apple is no more or no less "libertarian" than any other company who's forced to operate in this rigged market called the US economy.

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